Spring suspension of vehicle wheels



I v i 1,562,824 R. D. ESCOMBE SPRING SUSPENSION OF VEHICLE WHEELS Nov. 24 1925- Filed March 27. 1922 Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

ROBERT DOUGLAS ESCOMBIE, 0F SEVENOAKS, KENT, ENGLAND.

SPRING SUSPENSIGI'I OF VEHICLE WHEELS.

Application filed March 27, 1922.

.7 0 all whom Be it known that I, RonnRrDoUcLAs COMBE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland,

Sevenoaks, Kent, Engl residing at 3 South Park,

and, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Spring (for which I iave filed Suspension of Vehicle Vi heels application in England on the 5th April, 1921, No. 9990/1921,

and cognate application the 4th January, 1922), ing is a specification.

This invention relate No. 252 1922, filed of which the follows to the suspension and springing of vehicle wheels, and more especially of the front wheels of motor cycles. Its object is the production of a highly resilient wheel moun ient disposition of the ther object is to achieve ience 1n the mounting,

yields with increasing placement from normal With these objects in vehicle wheel is carried ting with a convenspringing. A fura graduated resilso that the wheel stiifness as its disposition'inoreases.

view the axle of the upon a short lever pivoted to the vehicle frame, and a laminated spring is secured at one end to said lever,

its other end bearing up on the frame so that it constantly exerts pressure between the frame and the lever to resist rotation of the lever on its pivot when shocks come upon the wheel.

The invention furthe 1' comprises a lever pivoted on the vehicle frame and carrying a vehicle wheel, and to said lever upon a part of the fram a spring fast at one end and bearing at its other end e which is so shaped that the effective length of the spring di minishes as the spring yields.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention for motor cycles, front wheels thereof,

to serve as the frame in and especially for the a sheet metal mudguard is suitably stren thened by flutings ember on which the spring bears; and said mud-guard may fur ther be extended and strengthened by a valance to serve as the fork and to carry the pivoted lever.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a front elevation of the construction of the suspension for the front wheel of a motor cycle.

In the construction illustrated the front fork is formed by a 1, which has a deep to the axle of the wheel.

sheet-metal mud-guard valance extending down The mud-guard is Serial No. 547,296.

strengthened by stamped ribs or flutings 2 near the normal position of the fork. A sheet of metal 3 riveted on the inner side of the mudguard, serves to form these hollow ribs into reservoirs, one of which is shown as fitted with a cap through which oil may be poured in.

At the lower end of these ribs, there is fitted upon the mud-guard, on each side, a lever 4:, which carries at 5 the spindle of the vehicle wheel; the mud-guard has an arouate slot 6 concentric with the pivot of lever 4t to permit the passage of this spindle. I11 the lever 4 there is inserted the root end of a laminated spring 7 the other end of which is inserted in and bears against the bracket or slipper 8 pivoted upon the mud-guard. The spring is shown as surrounded by an oil tight casing 9, the outer side of which is shown in Figure 1 as broken away. The aperture at the bottom of the reservoir formed by the rib 2 admits oil to the pivot 10 on which the lever 4 rocks and through the passage 11 in the lever to the end of the spring 7. Adjacent to the pivot of the bracket 8 there is preferably secured upon the mud-guard a curved bearing surface 12 to which the spring 7 will gradually apply itself as it is bent, so that its effective length is shortened by the bending. A suitable buffer 13 may be provided, for instance at one or both ends of the slot 6, to form a positive limit to the deflection of the lever l.

1. In a motor cycle the combination with the fork of a lover of much less length than the wheel radius pivoted upon the fork at one end, a wheel having its axle supported by the other end of said lever, and a laminated spring directly and rigidly attached to said lever at said other end and prolonging it and bearing upon a fixed part of the cylever, and a quarter zelliptic spring rigidly-- secured to said lever, the other end of said -fspring e bearing; upon a part of-..=thevehicle frame isha-p'eddio shorten the effective" length ofuthe spring; as it bends.

5. In a motorl drlven' cycle=the :comb1na- :tion with a: front steering". column of a valanced sheet. metal mud-guard attached thereto, levers pivoted 1n sa1d mud-guard, 'aavheel -having its axle carried by said levers, and quarter elliptic springs each; having one end fast in one ofxsaid levers; and the. other .end bearing upon said innd guard.

6. "In ailnotor cycle the. combi-nationwith Litheeycle' frame of a ribbed sheetmetal mudthe combination witlrthe" a lever.pivoted..thereon, a I

guard, a plate .attachedetofl said mud-guard clos ng theantenor of one: of has zillOS to form an 011 reservoir, levers pivoted upon said mud-guard, quarter ellipticspnngs secured 'in said"levers and-bearingupon sald mudguard,.and avehicle Wheel having its axle supported by said levers, said levers having a channel thereinto admit oil from said reservoir to their pivots and to said springs.

7. In a motorcycle the-combinationwith :thecycle frame: of a lever-'pivotedmponsaid fra-me, a; Wheel, having its. axle. carried by said lever, a spring-secured:tosaid lever-and heari-ng upon the-frame and a curved surface-l upon I said frame adj acent. .the point. of bearing 1 of said spring adapted. to: shorten theefi'ective.length ot'..said"sp1'ing as it bends. I .In-- .testi1nony, {whereof I. have. .signedlmy name to.=.this? specification.

ROBERT. DOUGLAS?- ESGQMBE. 

